Tremors Unfairly Maligned? Cheesy Sci-Fi Classics, as Picked by You

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Tremors Unfairly Maligned? Cheesy Sci-Fi Classics, as Picked by You

Readers threw a collective fit when Wired.com included Tremors in its recent roundup of the cheesiest movies ever made. The consensus: Kevin Bacon's 1990 movie about giant underground snakes was awesome.
"Putting Tremors in the same galaxy as Battlefield Earth should result in bodily harm of some kind," wrote tracester, representing the majority view. "How can you say no to the Family Ties dad with a basement full of guns actually needing to use them -- all of them -- in one scene? Come on!
Commenters also felt Cloverfield was unfairly maligned by RiffTrax smart-alec Kevin Murphy, who described "Clovie" as arguably "the lamest CG monster not to appear on a sci-fi movie."
Cheesy sci-fi films snubbed during the first go-round had no shortage of champions. In this gallery of readers' choices, check out a sampling of commenter-submitted votes for movies about homicidal rabbits, extraterrestrial clowns and aliens who gift earthlings with "glowing walnuts."
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Tremors

Tremors!? I remember renting Tremors all the time. It was pretty fun to watch. Plenty of gibs, too. It was like that "don't step on the carpet because it is made of lava" game you used to play with your siblings. —nealtime
Why Tremors? I liked it and it's definitely not a cheesy movie (although all of the sequels were.) As for Cloverfield, while I thought it was really really bad (all the movement of the camera gave me a headache), it definitely wasn't cheesy. If you really want cheese just watch the Syfy channel on Sundays. —HipCat
Take Tremors off yer dang list! Jeesh! It's a camp classic, not a cheesefest. I think you're going to have to turn in your geek card: Fail.—sevenof9fl
What's Tremors doing on the list? Tremors 2, 3, yes but not Tremors 1. —Jakelalens
I agree with those above: Remove Tremors. It's too good to be on this list. From Hell It Came,The Navy vs. the Night Monsters and Mars Needs Women. How did you guys miss those? —LauraAnnScaifeTremors ... was meant to be a send-up of horror films, and it's hilarious. —crankycodgerTremors is a classic and should not be on the list. Missing the abysmal Nightflyers. —netPirateTremors was slightly cheesy, but mostly just jumping good fun. The hallmark of a movie that belongs on this is where the critters, despite their visible seams and rubber wiggle, show more emotion than the humans. Take Tremors off and replace with something like Attack of the Giant Leeches or The Monolith Monsters. —jenjen
Remove Tremors and Battlefield Earth. Yes I know how much nerds love to rip on how that was a horrible movie (never seen it but people were just saying it was bad not cheesy).... Also, if you are going to make a list of cheesy movies and you don't include any Bruce Campbell flicks then you fail miserably. Yes I love his movies and a lot of people do but only because of how cheesy they are. A few others you seemed to have left out (or maybe never heard of): Bats, Monsturd, Eight Legged Freaks, Dead Alive. —bstud82
You greatly anger me with putting Cloverfield and Tremors on the list. Most of these movies are so bad they are good (Attack of the Killer Shrews, for example). But both of the above-mentioned movies really are nothing compared to what's on this list. Am I in the minority that thinks that Tremors is one of the best movies ever made? —Ratdog

Frogs

1972's eco-horror flick Frogs is one of several "animals attack" pictures submitted for the cheese hall of fame.
Where is Frogs on this list? I believe that is was the precursor film for all the nature-gets-revenge-animals-eating-people crap that has come since. —Doomedhuman
I am deeply -- deeply -- disappointed to not see Frogs in this list. It really throws into question the credibility of Messrs. Flores and Nelson. —wasserfishTremors is awesome! One of my favorite movies! Seriously, any 1970s "animal" movie would work here. Let's see, Frogs, Attack of the Killer Bees, Pirahna, etc. — johnahay07

Eight-Legged Freaks

I love Tremors. It is cheesy, but not as cheesy as Santa Claus vs. the Martians or Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country or Eight-Legged Freaks—SoyIsMurderTremors is a very entertaining movie! The remake of Clash of the Titans sucked! Put Eight-Legged Freaks on this list! —mnw1989

Alien: Resurrection

Two hours of a music-bare operetta directed by a French specialist of the genre. And then in the last 10 minutes: Action Ripley making love with a Chinese soup. Action Ripley giving birth to a failed Iron Maiden mascot. Action Ripley finally post-aborting her child through a spaceship window. —SChom

They Live

John Carpenter's goofy 1988 sci-fi movie about a drifter who sees aliens whenever he wears magic sunlasses got a thumbs up from one reader:
Where is They Live? —kelarius

Message From Space

I do believe you missed one of the all-time classic flops: Message From Space ... came out just before Star Wars.... " Wait! I haven't got my nut!" referring to a special "glowing" walnut, given to "select" individuals chosen for a "higher purpose." The opening scene of a policeman chasing down some teenager speed-racing his space-hotrod was a tip-off to the rest of the movie. —grieford

Ice Pirates

Ice Pirates! Ok, it's supposed to be funny, but it could be the cheesiest sci-fi movie of all time. I mean, a jive-talking robot? Classic! —chrisinspace

Empire of the Ants

What about Empire of the Ants? Seriously cheesy with hairy, mechanical ants. —Belseth

Killer Clowns From Outer Space

Killer Clowns From Outer Space; Surf Nazis Must Die—Tiima

Humanoids From the Deep

Please remove Tremors and Cloverfield as both are absolutely fabulous! Please replace with Humanoids From the Deep (1980) and SSSSSSSSS (1973). —reneet

Dead Alive (Braindead)

Director Peter Jackson's 1992 zombie horror-comedy Braindead, released in the United States as Dead Alive, got a vote:
Dead Alive (Braindead)—Zombowski

The Devil's Rain

Shatner. Ernest Borgnine. Tom Skerritt. First big-screen appearance of Travolta (in a mask, no less!) Shatner is the keeper of a book inked in blood (not The Necronomicon) with names of souls promised to Satan. McHale/Borgnine is the evil Satanist priest who's been hunting the book for 200 years (give or take). Great, corny performances, and melting faces that would make the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark jealous. Awesomeness! (While on Borgnine, check out Wes Craven's Deadly Blessing for scary Amish kookiness!) —obijuanmartinez

Flash Gordon

Where's Ming the Merciless? The 1936 spaceship adventure that inspired George Lucas' Star Wars got called out by some readers. (Or maybe it was the 1980 Flash Gordon remake.)
Flash Gordon! —Georgios1974

The Giant Claw

Grizzly

Grizzly (1976). Cheesy to the core. Need I say more? I gotta admit my tween years were shaped by the cinematic masterpieces Day of the Animals (1977) and Prophecy (1979): Two cautionary tales of mankind's plundering of Mother Earth via ozone depletion and industrial waste. —jelleyhead

The H-Man

How could you possibly leave out The H-Man? Not only hokey but Japanese voiceovers. —primus

Hell Comes to Frogtown

Hell Comes to Frogtown, They Live, V, Deep Blue Sea—Zombowski

It Conquered the World

Take Tremors off the list, as it was just too perfect (Reba as a survivalist!). Replace with It Conquered the World, referenced in the Frank Zappa song "Cheapness." —nturner

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

I can't believe Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is not on this list. Absolute classic cheesiness. —MadLyb
Where is Attack of the Killer Tomatoes?! —gcarcass

Manos: The Hands of Fate

What? Manos: The Hands of Fate isn't listed? —Mithras

Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus

Where is the modern classic Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus, starring Lorenzo Lamas and Deborah Gibson? The Mega Shark takes down a trans-Pacific airliner by jumping out of the ocean and pulling it out of the sky. Later it attacks the Golden Gate Bridge, biting the central span. The plot is just as cheesy. Two prehistoric, mortal enemies are trapped in the arctic ice during the throes of battle. Global warming causes them to be set free due to melting polar ice caps. —dgrimesii

Night of the Lepus

1972's killer-rabbit movie Night of the Lepus picked up multiple votes:
There are easily dozens more deserving than much of what's on the list.... Battlefield Earth may have been one of the stupidest big-budget movies ever made but the production value was fairly slick -- it was the dialogue that was cheesy. Slither was stupid but it was once again a slick movie, just bad. Attack of the Puppet People was a silly idea but far from as bad as many others from the time. How about Invasion of the Saucer Men? It's a fun movie but supercheesy. I would have even accepted Night of the Lepus or Kingdom of the Spiders, even though Lepus had some cool model shots and was silly fun. —Belseth

Robot Holocaust

Skewered by Mystery Science Theater 3000 and revived on Hulu.com, this 1968 flick featured a drifter named Neo who treks through post-apocalyptic New York, assisted by a robot sidekick.
Pretty surprised Robot Holocaust isn't on the list —salvarm

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

Movie that should have been on the list: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. This 1964 flick featured a very young Pia Zadora, foreshadowing her own stunning acting career, as a little Martian girl. It is beyond cheesy, which makes it especially entertaining. —scootmandu

Deadly Snail vs. Kung Fu Killer

Add Deadly Snail vs. Kung Fu Killer. So inept that in the final scene you can see shadows on the blue sky.... I might consider, Killer Clown From Outer Space in this list, but the set design was so awesome that it lifts the whole film into a higher class. Add Lifeforce. Nekked, pretty lady vampires, zombies from London, riots, lord knows what else. And Tobe Hooper's other masterpieces, The Funhouse, The Mangler et al. —specialEd

The Terror of Tiny Town

They missed The Terror of Tiny Town, a small-person B&W version of a "B" Western. The cheesiest point: When the leader of the bad guys, while wearing a ridiculously tall 10-gallon hat, walked under a hitching rail without removing or knocking off his hat. —OldBilly

The Thing With Two Heads

The Thing With Two Heads starring Rosie Greer and Ray Milland, a bigot and a black football player grafted onto a single body. Don't miss the thrilling go-cart race! And speaking of Ray Milland, Panic in the Year Zero. (Was that the one where teenage heart-throb Ray Peterson turned into a radioactive monster?) Blackula, Blood Couple, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (No. 1 wasn't bad.) Last House on the Left 2. In fact, almost anything that's "2," "3," "4" or beyond. And every Nazi zombie film, including the one made with wazzizname the porn star.—specialEd